Table slide



Patented Jan. 276, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,068,743 TABLE SLIDE Warren T.Green,

Louisville, Ky., assigner to Mengel Body Company,

Incorporated, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationOctober 31, 1935, Serial No. 47,683

2 Claims.

This invention relates to table slides and more particularly to onehaving equalizing means.V

Inasmuch as table slides do not form a prominent visible part of thetable it is desirable that they be of inexpensive construction. Howeversince the slides constitute an important part of the operating structureof the table it is important that they be of requisite strength and sodesigned as to work silently and smoothly. The purpose of the presentinvention is to provide a table slide which will satisfy these somewhatcon'- Yiiicting requirements. p

One object of the invention is to provide a table slide having a slideconnection coextensive with its length.

Another object is the which are concealed.

A further object is to provide equalizing means requiring a minimumnumber of parts which are so related that friction and wear will beminimized.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawingshowing a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an assembled table slide in collapsed position.

, Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a section view of the assembled slide in separated position,Ataken on a plane correspending to the line 3`3 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the central rail with the cover plateremoved.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, on a larger scale.

The table slide includes two outside rails I and II of identical shape,and a central rail I2 with which the outside rails have a slidingconnection. In use, the central rail I2 may be affixed to a. pedestal orother table support which is to remain stationary, and the outside railsare aixed to the separabley sections of the table, in any usual manner.Ordinarily, the outside rails are aixed directly to the under sides ofthe sections of a table top so that their upper surfaces provide asupport for removable table leaves.

The sliding connection between the rails is provided by undercut groovesI3 in the opposite vertical faces of the rail I2 with which tongues I4formed on the rails I0, II coact. As here shown these tongues andgrooves are T shaped in cross section but it is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited to this shape. It will provision of stopmeans lperiphery of the roller and (Cl. S11-75) be noted that thetongues and grooves are coextensive with the lengths of the rails sothat a considerable area of contact between the sliding surfaces isprovided. Because of this, wear is minimized and the parts arestrengthened so 5 that rupture and separation of the rails is resisted.To facilitate manufacture, the central rail may be made in two parts,held together by screws, as shown.

To limit movement of the rails the stop pins 10 I 5 working in slot I6are provided. The slot I6 extends through the dividing wall betweengrooves I3 and its opposite end walls provide abutments to arrest themovement of the pins I 5 carried by the side rails. The length of theslot I6 is so re- 15 lated to the location of the pins I5 that when therails are collapsed as in Fig. 1 they will be in substantial alignment,and when separated as in Fig. 3 the side rails will have moved slightlyless than half the length of the central rail. 2

It should be observed the slot I6, by being at the center of rail I2does not materially weaken the rail. In the assembled slide the stoppinsj I5 and slot I6 are concealed from view. This stop means, moreover,does not reduce the ex- 25 tent of the interlocking surface contactbetween the rails with the result that the structure is not weakened inthis respect. .l

Disposed centrally of the rail I2 and in an outer face thereof is acircular recess I'I. This recess is of slightly larger diameter than thewidth of the face in which it is formed so that it opens through thevertical sides of the rail I2. A pivot pin I8 retained in place by beingseated within a bore in the rail I2 projects into recess 35 I'I axiallythereof. Rotatably mounted upon the pin I8 is a roller I9 ofsubstantially the same diameter as the thickness of the rail at thispoint so that there is a clearance space between the the wall of recessIl. 40 The roller I9 is slightly less thick than the depth of the recessso that its upper surface is below the upper face of the rail. 'I'heroller is retained in place by a cover plate 20 secured to rail I2.

Passing around the roller are the oppositely 45 looped flexibleconnectors 2I and 22. These may be any desired band, cable chain orcord. One end of the band 2| is secured to the rail II past the centerthereof. Correspondingly, one end of band 22 is secured to the end ofrail II while the 50 other end is secured to rail I0 past its midpoint.Because of this arrangement the ends of the bands are not carried beyondthe center of the roller when the rails are at the extremities of theirouter travel. In order that the bands will 55 Cil not interfere witheach other, one is placed above the other and they are sufficientlynarrow to have separate tracks upon the roller. A space 23 between therails to receive the bands 2l and 22 should be provided, as by cuttingback the inner faces of the side rails ID and Il. This prevents therails from binding at this point. y

I It should be noted that by the present arrangement of oppositelylooped bands passing around a single centrally disposed roller, theforces acting upon the roller when the rails are withdrawn or urgedtogether, are balanced. As a result the frictional resistance betweenthe roller and its pivot pin is minimized and easier movement is madepossible. Since the number of moving parts is reduced to a minimum andthe operating stresses are substantially balanced, there is less wearupon the parts.

A slide constructed according to this invention has the furtheradvantages that it operates silently and smoothly. Because thecontacting surfaces are continuous and free of parts which might strikeagainst each other, the rails will not bind or jam during theirmanipulation. Since the slide operates in this smooth manner it does notmake objectionable sounds. Quietness of operation is a desideratum.

What is claimed is:

1. A table slide comprising a central rail and side rails, means forslidably connecting the Side rails on opposite sides of the centralrail, said central rail having a circular recess formed in one of itsouter faces midway of the length thereof, a pivot pin carried by saidcentral rail and projecting axially within said recess, a roller in saidrecess and rotatably mounted upon said pivot pin, a cover plateretaining the roller within said recess, and oppositely looped bandspassing over the roller and connected at their respective ends to therespective side rails.

2. A table slide comprising a central rail and side rails, means forslidably connecting the side rails on opposite sides of the centralrai1,a roller carried by the central rail midway of its length, a bandpassing around a portion of the periphery of the roller and having itsends projecting away from the roller in substantial parallelism withsaid rails, one end of said band being connected to one of the siderails and the other end thereof being connected to the other side rail,and a sec-

